For many years, it has been desirable to mark automobile parts with identifying markings so that the part could be readily identified with a particular vehicle. It has been perceived that with such a marking system, the criminal activity of stealing and disassembling automobiles for their parts, known as chop-shop operations, could be impeded, if not stopped, because if a part can be identified with a particular vehicle, the market for stolen automobile parts would materially dry up. Labels with vehicle identification numbers can readily be produced but such labels can also be readily removed without in any way damaging the part. Stamping of metal parts is prohibitively expensive and where the part is a thin metal part, such stamping operation may not be undertaken without damaging the part. Heretofore, there has been no practical way to mark automobile parts with identification numbers in such a way that the part could readily be identified with a particular automobile or owner, and the marking would not be readily removable.
It is an object of this invention to provide a label which will permit metal surfaces such as metal automobile part surfaces to be marked in such a way that the marking cannot be readily removed and so that the part can always be identified with a particular motor vehicle.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a method of marking a metal part with an identifying indicia in such a way that the indicia cannot be readily removed from the part.